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Four Reasons Why You Need Kale Crisps In Your Life!

Crisps, or chips, for our overseas readers, are generally considered to be the epitome of unhealthy eating. This is because, more often than not, most crisps that we see on supermarket shelves are fried in copious amounts of unhealthy oils and trans fats, are pumped full of artificial flavourings, preservatives, and other additives, and are then finished off with heart-attack inducing quantities of salt. So, as crisps are a snacker’s best friend, and a healthy living enthusiast’s worst nightmare, what is a snack-loving health nut supposed to do to get their snack fix without destroying their gains, and their health in the process? Well, they could do what hundreds of thousands of people all over the world are doing, and embrace kale, in the form of kale crisps.

Kale crisps are basically oven-baked crispy pieces of pure kale, often lightly tossed in olive oil before baking, that are low in saturated fats, low in calories, and packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and various other nutrients in the process. If you’ve not yet tried kale crisps, here are four reasons why you need them in your life.

Convenient Healthy Snack

Let’s face it, sometimes we want a light snack and something to nibble on, and for most of us, a light snack comes in the form of something processed and/or deep fried, that is full of unhealthy ingredients, fat, calories, and regret when you finish eating it. In terms of healthy snacks, well, other than raw carrots dipped in hummus, or peanut butter spread on celery stalks, there isn’t a great deal to choose from. Kale crisps however, are perfect because they have the crunch and the taste associated with real crisps, and the added bonus of being absolutely packed full of nutrients and being low in calories in the process. They are ready to eat as and when, so if you want a guilt-free snack for when you’re watching the match, or craving something naughty, kale crisps are ideal.

Great For Your Heart

There aren’t many snacks out there that are good for your heart, in fact, most snacks are packed full of trans fats, which increase your LDL cholesterol levels, block your arteries, spike your blood pressure, and put you at an increased risk of a heart attack, heart disease, or a stroke. Kale crisps however, contain no trans fats, they contain no LDL cholesterol increasing ingredients, and they actually can reduce LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol, as they increase HDL cholesterol, which is the healthy one. What’s more, they also contain some healthy fats from the oils, which again, can promote heart health and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Incredibly Nutrient Dense

Kale is not just a healthy vegetable, it is considered by many, to be a superfood, as it is jam-packed full of nutrients, and truthfully, is one of the most nutrient dense foods in the entire world. To give you an idea of just some of the nutrients you will find in kale, generally, most varieties of kale include:

» Vitamin A

» Vitamin K

» Vitamin C

» Vitamin B6

» Manganese

» Vitamin B2

» Vitamin B3

» Copper

» Potassium

» Magnesium

» Calcium

» Iron

» Phosphorus

» Glucosinolates

» And more…

As you can see, with all of these nutrients, so many aspects of your health and well-being will improve, that you won’t know what to do with yourself. Your immune system in particular, will work better than ever with regular kale consumption, meaning you will be less likely to get ill.

Rich In Antioxidants

Not only is kale rich in the glucosinolates and nutrients listed above, it is also packed full of antioxidants, including: Kaempferol, beta-carotene, and Quercetin. Antioxidants help to rid the body of toxins and protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free-radicals, which could potentially lead to cellular mutations and cancer. Oxidative damage is considered to be a leading driving force of the effects of aging, as well as being one of the leading causes of cancer and other diseases. By simply snacking on kale crisps each day, not only are you getting a healthy, delicious, guilt-free treat, you could even potentially be helping to increase your longevity and to protect yourself from serious disease.

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Faye has a MSc in Sport Physiology and Nutrition, and puts her passion into practice as goal attack for her netball team, and in competitive event riding. She enjoys a pun, and in her spare time loves dog walking and eating out.